Elevated single-rail railway.



No. 663,525. Patented Dec. u, I900. A. A. WELSH.

ELEVATED SINGLE RAIL RAILWAY.

(Application filed. Aug. 20, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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fld wm fizMM 47 K ZZ UNrrnn Starts ATE/NT rrrctzc ALEXANDER A. WVELSH,OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO THE CRAWLEY SCENIC AND PLEASURE RAIL\VAY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI,OHIO.

ELEVATED SINGLE-RAIL RAILWAY;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. dated December 11,1900.

Application iiled August 20, 1900. Serial No. 27,499. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER A.WELSH, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in ElevatedSingle-Rail Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to elevated single-rail railways employingguard-rails, its object being to provide an inexpensive and safestructure and running-gear adapted thereto.

The invention is particularly useful in pleasure-railways, where highspeeds are customary.

'To this end my invention consists, first, in a track-support designedto carry both bearingrail and guard-rails in a safe and secure mannerand in such relations as admit of a form and construction ofrunning-gear particularly adapted thereto andto secure entire safety athigh speeds and also convenient for due inspection and maintenance,and,second, in a construction and arrangement of the running-gearadapted to the rail structure, whereby the maintenance of theequilibrium of the car is assured under all circumstances and derailmentabsolutely prevented.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is an elevation of one of the members of the trestle, showingthe manner of supporting the main bearing-rail and guardrails; also, anend elevation of a car in position upon the bearing-rail and in duerelation with the guard-rails. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation ofstructure designed to carry two of such single-rail railways eachindependent.

Referring now to the drawings, A A designate the two outer struts orbraces of a trestle seated upon a base B, and C a central vertical propthe top of which is secured to a cross-brace D, connecting the outerstruts. To the tops of the center props C is secured a stringer D, uponwhich is carried the bearing-rail R. The inclined side struts A A arecarried upward to a suitable height above the level of the main track,and at the inner sides of the same are secured stringers cut at eachside of the main bearing-rail R, respectively.

Guard-rails r r are secured to the under side of the stringers a a.

The relative positions of the parts described are indicated in Fig. 1,wherein is shown a den ble-fianged central bearing-wheel E, runningloosely upon fixed axle e, at the outer terminals of which are carriedguardwheels F, flanged at the inner sides. The relations of the partsare such that jumping of the central bearing-wheel E from its track R isprevented by the upward contact of the guard-wheels F against theguard-rails r, seated upon the stringers a.

The car-body G rests upon stringers g g, to which are secured boxes h,in which the axlebar 6 is rigidly fastened and in which also may beplaced friction rollers or balls (not shown) in the usual manner tominimize the rotative friction of the wheels E and F. It will be readilyseen that the oscillations of the car-body relate to a center which isthe point of rolling contact of the wheel E with the track R and thatsuch oscillations involve the sweep of the outer ends of the axle-bar ein upward and correspondingly downward arcs. While in rapid motionforward, the tendency is to maintain a horizontal equilibrium of thecar-body, in which position the guard-wheels F are maintained just belowthe plane of contact with the guard-rails 1'. Any oscillation, however,brings one of the guardwheels into contact with its guard-rail, and asthe provision for lost motion is very small the oscillation is limitedto very minute arcs.

The equilibrium is therefore practically maintained at all times by theguard-wheels, besides absolutely preventing the bearing-wheel E liftingsufficiently from its track-rail R to disengage its flanges. Del-ailmentis therefore absolutely prevented.

As the structure is designed for safety at high speeds, it will beunderstood that the surging effect of momentum increases the force ofoscillation, &c. To meet these conditions is the object of theconstruction shown, in which the guard-rail stringers are mounted as anintegral part of the structure upon the upward extension of the strutsA. It will be seen that the arcs of oscillation at the point of contactof the guard wheels and rails 1- are substantially parallel with thelongitudinal axes of the struts A themselves, and the lifting force uponthe struts at such points is resisted by the weight of the car and ofthe entire structure. There is thus constituted a simple, cheap, andexceedingly-effective structure, tending to make high speed absolutelysafe so long as the parts themselves are maintained in a reasonablestate of repair.

The principle of construction may be carried out in a structure for adouble railway where tracks are parallel, as indicated in Fi 2. In thiscase the outer struts A A are spread apart, and the central braces O arecarried upward beyond the cross-brace D sufficiently to carry atopposite sides stringers a, 00', corresponding with the stringers a,before described. Stringers D for the main rail R are carried on thecross-brace D, while guard-rails r are placed at the under side of theside stringers a ct. Additional braces :11 y may be inserted tostrengthen the structure, if needed.

It is not broadly new to provide single-rail railways with guard-railsfor the operation of guard-wheels bearing against the same; but so faras I am aware the guard-rails have never before been arranged in therelation to the track here shown so that the guardwheels can be carriedon the same axle with the bearing-wheel as part of the running-gear in acompact construction, so that the whole structure is simple, efficient,and practical in a high degree and easily so maintained.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States- 1. In a single-rail railway system, the combination of afixed axle; a double flanged bearingwheel centrally pivoted thereon;guard-wheels of lesser diameter journaled at the extremities thereof; amain central rail carrying the bearing-wheels; andguard-rails carried atthe sides of and above the main rail and guard-wheels and approximatelyin the contact-path of the latter.

2. In an elevated railway system, the combination of a supportingstructure, including oppositely-inclined struts and cross-braces unitingthe struts below their tops; and means for carrying the bearing-railcentrally between the struts above the cross-braces and guardrailscarried at the inner sides of the struts above the main bearing-rail,adapted for the operation of a car or ltruckhaving one or more axlesprovided with double-flanged bearing-wheels bearing upon the centralrail and guard-wheels of lesser diameter journaled at the extremities ofthe axle beneath and in approximate contact with the guard rails.

3. The elevated single rail railway structure embodying oppositelyinclined struts, cross-braces uniting the same below their tops, centralvertical props rising to the cross-braces, a stringer for the support ofthe main bearing-rail carried on the tops of the central props and thecross-braces, and two side stringers for the support of the guard railsand carried at the inner sides of the inclined side struts above thecross-braces, substantially as set forth.

4. In a single-rail railway, the combination of a supporting structureincluding oppo sitely-inclined struts, means connecting them below theirtops, and vertical props, a main rail, a double-flanged wheel adapted torun thereon, an axle or axle-bar extending axiially at both sides ofsaid wheel, singleflanged guard-wheels at the extremities of said axleor axle-bar, and guard-rails at both sides of said central track, fixedto the supporting structure above the plane of the main rail andarranged just above the normal plane of rolling contactof saidguard-Wheels, substantially as set forth.

5. In an elevated railway, the combination of a supporting structureincluding oppositely-inclined struts, horizontal braces connecting saidstruts below their tops and vertical posts between opposite struts, mainand guard rails, means for securing the guardrails in position near theplane of the tops of the struts and means for securing the main rails inposition just above the plane of the cross-braces, the mainbearing-wheels, and guard-wheels mounted on extensions of the axlethereof at opposite sides, said guardwheels arranged below and in thecontactpath of the guard-rails.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER A. WELSH.

Witnesses:

WALTER A. KNIGHT, CHAS. HERBERT JONES.

